Saturday Special - A Blind Storm Chaser? Is That Possible

A Blind Storm Chaser? Is That Possible?

By Michelle Dyer - Robin Storm Special Correspondent.

You might be wondering what a Blind Storm Chaser is, and why I'd even consider suggesting such a thing! Well, we all know what storm chasers are, but no one's ever heard of blind ones!

As a matter of fact, such a thing wouldn't otherwise cross your mind without me mentioning it. Perhaps the up-coming story I'm going to share with you, along with ideas of what I hope to see in the future, will make the thought of such things seem more plausible.

A Bit About Me

Before I go any further, perhaps I should give a bit of info about myself. My name is Michelle Dyer, and I am a 38 year old, totally blind female from Central Florida. The Sunshine State's been my home for about twenty years, but I am originally from Northern Virginia.

For most of my life, I've always seemed to have an interest in weather. Even though I can't really trace this interest back to a single event, there are many events that I will always remember. At some point down the road, I will share those experiences in a future article.

My Blogs And Weather E-Mail Lists

I, as a blind person, follow weather, yet I am unable to carry out the same actions that most other storm chasers do. This doesn't mean I've given up on my love for following weather though. First of all, I have two blogs that I post to on a regular basis. Secondly, I moderate a weather E-Mail list where weather from Florida is the central focus. Along with this, I am a member of a Mid West weather E-Mail list that is also moderated by a blind friend of mine.

If you are interested in the weather blogs, here's how you can get to them. To visit the All About Mid West Weather blog, please visit here. I also have a blog called The Storm Watch Forum. If you wish to visit that blog as well, please go here.

When you visit these blogs, you will also learn about a friend of mine by the name of Bonnie. This dear friend of mine lives in Oklahoma City and works as a storm spotter for the Oklahoma County Emergency Management. Even though she is not totally blind, she has to use glasses to correct her vision. When you read her blog postings, you will see just what an inspiration she is to me.

To learn more about, or to sign up for the E-Mail weather groups, you may visit the following pages. To get to the Florida Weather Info Google Group, please go here. If you are also interested in the Mid West Weather group, please visit this link. It is free to join, and we'd love to have you on board.

In What Way Do We Chase Storms?

One may ask, so how through these blogs and E-Mail groups do we chase storms? Well, the answer is simple! We go up to sites such as the www.weather.gov alerts page, pluck information regarding watches and warnings for states effected, posting these alerts to the blogs and E-Mail lists, then follow the progress of severe weather events through related news articles and personal accounts of specific weather events. All these items are well documented, giving the reader a full picture of what has taken place. This, in turn, gives a "Storm Chaser" feel to the material posted.

My Intuition And Other Four Senses

Blind individuals have ways of getting around their loss of eye sight. One way is through the use of their other four senses. Another way is through having an intuitive personality. I can say for certain that such things are true of me, and have played a role in how I follow weather.

How do I use my other four senses to follow weather? Well, that's simple! First of all, when I can't see the rain falling, I can hear it. Secondly, when I can't see the snow falling, I can feel it touching me. Thirdly, when it comes to knowing about an approaching severe storm, that's where hearing the thunder comes in handy. Oh, but of course, one must never leave out the use of a NOAA weather radio because it can save your life!

In conjunction with the use of my other four senses, I also have great intuition as it relates to weather. For the last twenty-five years or so, I have had a strange intuition about certain weather situations. For example, I have known about tornado outbreaks before anyone else has. I even get vives about these events several weeks in advance of their taking place. I hope to share these experiences at length in a future article.

So What Lies Ahead?

So what lies ahead in the future for me? Well, I hope to help in making it possible for blind weather enthusiasts to do what they love for a living, follow and forecast weather! As it stands now, the science of Meteorology is way too visual for the blind to do as a profession. In a future article, I hope to address this issue further, with the hope that I can bring about working ideas for change. Finally, I hope to encourage sighted storm chasers to take on blind partners, thus allowing for us to use our growing knowledge, our other four senses and intuition to help in the improving science of weather forecasting.

Michelle Dyer's Link
Florida Weather Group
http://groups.google.com/group/florida-weather?hl=en
My Blogs Are:
http://stormwatchforum.wordpress.com/
http://aboutmidwestweather.blogspot.com/
http://journals.aol.com/michdye/the-shoe-box/
Other Special Sites Where You Can See My Writing:
http://www.helium.com/users/275364
http://www.shoutlife.com/michelle-dyer

We at Robin Storm welcome Michelle as our special weather correspondent. Watch here for her weather stories.

RS

Flood and wind coverage in one?

Flood and wind coverage in one?

NEW ORLEANS - One of the nation's largest insurance companies is lobbying Congress for permission to sell policies that cover damage from both wind and floodwater, a plan billed as a way for insurers and homeowners to avoid costly litigation after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

The company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., also said that expanding its homeowner policies to include flood coverage could save taxpayer money by reducing costs for the federally subsidized National Flood Insurance Program.

Its plan, which would require congressional approval, calls for the Columbus, Ohio, company to sell flood insurance at the same price as the subsidized NFIP policies. Policyholders would have the option of buying flood coverage beyond the limits of the national program.

Also, unlike other homeowner rates, prices for Nationwide's expanded policies would be exempt from state regulation.

Officials from the insurer have briefed more than a dozen members of Congress on the plan but have not yet drafted a formal proposal.

"This is without a precedent. There are no precursors to this," said Craig Zimpher, Nationwide's vice president for government relations.

Zimpher said the benefits of having one policy cover both wind and flood damage were illustrated by the recent flooding in the Midwest and by its wind-vs.-water disputes with policyholders on the Gulf Coast after Katrina.

In the aftermath of the August 2005 storm, thousands of property owners in Mississippi and Louisiana without flood insurance sued their insurers for refusing to cover damage from Katrina's wind-driven storm surge.

"We see this [plan] as a viable alternative to much of the litigation that occurred post-Katrina," Zimpher said. "No one, whether it's insurers or consumers, benefits from litigation."

Rep. Gene Taylor (D., Miss.), a fierce critic of the insurance industry's handling of Katrina claims, is one of the lawmakers who have been briefed on Nationwide's plan.

Brian Martin, Taylor's policy director, said the proposal could benefit consumers if other insurance companies followed Nationwide's lead and created a competitive market for flood coverage. Such coverage is a risk that private insurance companies traditionally have not wanted to take on.

Martin said the plan should also include federal government regulation and oversight so that insurers do not "cherry-pick" policyholders and exclude properties at the greatest risk of flood damage.

"The current system is leaving gaps in coverage," he said. "There will always be disputes as long as you have wind and flood in separate policies."

Nationwide said its expanded homeowner coverage would be voluntary for its customers. The Treasury Department would regulate and "reinsure" Nationwide's flood coverage. The cost of reinsuring Nationwide's policies would be paid in part by a percentage of the flood premiums collected by the company.

Reinsurers sell backup coverage to other insurers, spreading risk so the system can handle large or widespread losses.

While the price of Nationwide's flood coverage would mirror the cost of NFIP policies, prices for the wind, theft and fire portions of the expanded policies would not be subject to government price controls, the company said.

Katrina inspired Nationwide's proposal, but the company says its expanded policies would benefit homeowners far from the Gulf Coast. Many of the homes damaged or destroyed this month by water from the swollen Mississippi River weren't covered by flood insurance.

WEATHER NOTE

Hurricane Center director talks forecasting in interview

By JESSICA GRESKO

Associated Press Writer

MIAMI (AP) - Substantially improving the accuracy of hurricane intensity predictions could take years and tens of millions of dollars, the National Hurricane Center's director said Tuesday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Bill Read said reducing by half the errors made in tasks such as determining whether a storm would remain a Category 1 or grow stronger would be a costly and long-term effort.

Predicting a storm's intensity is much harder for meteorologists than estimating where it will go. Since 1990, forecasters have reduced by more than half their errors in predicting a storm's path, but over the same time the accuracy of their intensity forecasts has remained virtually unchanged.

``To really get after that you're talking tens of millions of dollars, if not more, to reach an ambitious goal,'' Read said. ``We've made a steady gain in the improvement of the track forecasts, and we haven't figured out how to do that yet for rapid intensification.''

That could take between five and 10 years, he said.

Read said he's satisfied for now with the $3 million the government is spending this year for research into improving intensity forecasts. Long-term improvement, however, would require a sustained investment.

Read took the helm of the National Hurricane Center in January. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season which officially began June 1 is his first as director. The center monitors the movement and strength of tropical weather systems and issues storm watches and warnings for the U.S. and surrounding areas.

Read said he expects to spend a lot of time talking about preparing for storms, as other directors have. He said it's denial, not complacency, that keeps many people from being prepared. They just don't think a storm will hit, and that's what emergency managers and others have to overcome, he said.

Read also talked about the sensitive issue of a suggested link between global warming and hurricanes, acknowledging it carries ``so much emotional baggage'' it can be ``really hard to sift out the science.''

Read said he agreed with others at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and that the link between global warming and hurricanes ``is still to be determined.'' While people who model climate largely believe ``global warming is real and it's going to get worse,'' Read said, there is much more disagreement about the effect of warming on tropical storms and whether the number and intensity of storms will be affected.

``All of that comes out as different numbers. I think there are a lot of unresolved issues in the science,'' Read said.

MARITIME NOTE

USA. Boaters should prepare for July 4 safety

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

With American's busiest boating holiday, July 4th, upon us, the waterways will soon be brimming boaters. The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water says that making a few extra preparations ahead of time will go a long way towards increasing your family's and friend's safety and fun on the water.

Here are ten tips that will help you stay safe this July 4th holiday weekend:

1. Put safety into your weekend plan: The Foundation's free Online Boating "Toolbox" at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/Guide has helpful information on trip planning and preparation, boating equipment, emergency preparation, navigation, and quizzes to test your knowledge. The Foundation also offers a free NASBLA-approved online boating safety course for residents of more than 30 states at http://www.BoatUS.org/Onlinecourse

2. "Little" guests need life jackets: Everyone wants to be on the boat this holiday weekend, but do you have the right-sized life jacket aboard for any visiting kids? The BoatU.S. Foundation loans children's life jackets for free at over 350 marinas, fuel docks, and other waterfront businesses and boat clubs. To find a location near you go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP

3. Take your time to get home: July 4th is the one time a year many fair-weather boaters - who may rarely navigate in the dark - venture out after the sun goes down. The most reported type of boating accident is a collision with another vessel so it's a good idea to keep your speed down, post an extra lookout, and ensure all your navigation lights work. A spotlight is a must, and ensure all safety gear is readily available and life jackets are worn. Be extra vigilant about not running over anchor lines in crowded fireworks viewing areas, and don't take shortcuts in the dark.

4. Wear life jackets: Almost three-quarters of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 87% were not wearing a life jacket. Accidents can happen very quickly, sometimes leaving no time to don a life jacket.

5. Don't overload your boat: Resist the urge to invite more friends or family to the fireworks show than what your boat was designed to carry. Heavily loaded small boats, and those with little freeboard such as bass boats, are more susceptible to swamping from weather or wake action associated with heavy July 4th boating traffic.

6. It's a long day: A full day in the sun will increase alcohol's effects on the body, so it's better to wait until you're safely back at the dock or home before breaking out the libations. Also bring lots of water, a VHF radio, and check the weather reports to avoid storms.

7. Know how to get back in the boat: A fall overboard can turn into a life-threatening situation pretty quickly, especially for small boats without built-in boarding ladders. The BoatU.S. Foundation recently tested a range of portable boarding ladders, and you may be surprised what they found. To view video of these ladders in our boarding tests, or learn which ladder may be best for you, see the Foundation Findings #44 at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation

8. Never run the engine when swimmers are in the water: Raft-ups, or groups of boats tied together in a protected anchorage, is a great way to spend the holiday with fellow boating friends. But you should never run an engine, or a generator for that matter, with swimmers in the water near exhaust ports or props. Even though the boat's transmission may not be in gear, propellers can still rotate, and odorless, colorless carbon monoxide can quickly overcome swimmers.

9. Take a local boating safety class: The Foundation has most complete list of boating safety courses taught in communities across the country. To find one near you, go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Courseline

10. Cruising offshore? An emergency position indicating rescue beacon (EPIRB) from the BoatU.S. Foundation's EPIRB rental program will give you the margin of safety you need during an offshore passage. These $750 beacons rent for just $40 per week (plus shipping). Go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/Epirb

RS

Students Join Science Team to Chase and Capture Tornado Data

Students Join Science Team to Chase and Capture Tornado Data

Newswise — Their job is to take measurements of a tornado’s rear flank downdraft.

And yes, said several Iowa State University students who have joined Tim Samaras, a Colorado-based researcher who was named a National Geographic Society “Emerging Explorer” in 2005 and is a principal engineer for Applied Research Associates Inc., some adrenaline is involved. But that’s not why they’re driving instrument-carrying cars a mile or so to the south or east of the storms that have regularly blown across tornado alley this spring and summer.

They’re driving into rain, wind, lightning and hail to chase data: temperature, dew point, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction and exact location. The students’ measurements will be analyzed by scientists trying to understand more about how tornadoes are formed.

“We’re measuring air circulation near the tornado,” said Chris Karstens, an Iowa State graduate student in meteorology from Atlantic. “There are questions about that air’s role in forming tornadoes and in tornado longevity. We think it has a central role in tornadoes.”

Karstens, who spent five days on the road with Samaras’ crew last month, said he saw and chased about 12 tornadoes. Most were weak storms. But he saw a few that were a mile wide or bigger.

Bill Gallus, an Iowa State professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, said this is the third year Iowa State students have done field research with Samaras. They’re generally on the road throughout May and June. Students volunteer to be part of Samaras’ “TWISTEX” (Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in/near Tornadoes/Thunderstorms Experiment, http://twistex.org). Those selected are usually experienced storm chasers and have done well in forecasting courses. The students are not paid, but their field expenses are covered. The students’ research is part of an Iowa State project supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and led by Partha Sarkar, an Iowa State professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Wind Simulation and Testing Laboratory.

The idea is to send students out to the field to learn more about how storms develop and evolve, Gallus said. They also learn about working with mobile instruments and taking measurements.

“They come back and they’re so excited about the data they can analyze,” Gallus said.

They’re also excited about the stories they can tell.

Brandon Fisel, a graduate student in meteorology from Hebron, Ind., remembers May 29 near Osborne, Kan. That’s when Samaras dropped three probes containing cameras and instruments in the path of an oncoming tornado. The probes took a direct hit and could yield the first measurements of wind speed at the bottom of a tornado.

W Scott Lincoln, a graduate student in environmental science from Alleman, likes to talk about the day he drove through a tornado that was just beginning to form. He didn’t know what was happening at the time, but the car’s weather instruments later confirmed the storm had begun to circulate over his head.

Jayson Prentice, a senior meteorology student from Terril, says his time with Samaras’ experiment can help him build his research resume for graduate school.

And what about the chase? Does it get scary when the storms kick up, as they have all too often this tornado season?

Well, said Karstens, most of the experiment “is just like you’re on a very long road trip” because the researchers drive hundreds of miles from storm system to storm system.

Prentice remembers the intensity of “a few moments when we were taking near-tornado windfall readings within a mile or a couple of miles of tornadoes. One tornado was over a mile wide.”

But, said Fisel, “the adrenaline is kind of going and you don’t feel scared at all.”

Besides, said Lincoln, the researchers aren’t “yahoo chasers going out for thrills.” They’re calling in reports to the National Weather Service. They’re recording as much data as they can. And they’re working to help scientists develop a better understanding of the deadly and destructive storms.

WEATHER NOTE

A Simulated Hurricane Helps Emergency Responders Prepare

By some predictions, this years Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be well above average: 15 named storms, eight of which hurricanes.

Ed McDonough with PIO MEMA said, "We're trying to prepare for the worst, historically we can say we've only had tropical storms in Maryland, but certainly history can be changed."

That's why local, State and Federal agencies held a hurricane simulation Tuesday.

McDonough also said, "We've worked on procedures to notify the public, almost like the tornado type notification, what they should do and how to protect themselves from very high winds."

Matt Bassett, with MDOT said, "It gives us as an agency the opportunity to coordinate without lives having to be put on the line, so when it does happen we're ready."

Officials urge everyone to be prepared ahead of time with a kit containing water, non-perishable food and blankets.

Hurricane season may catch companies off guard

BY JIM WYSS

After Hurricane Wilma churned through South Florida in 2005, Citibank was having trouble tracking down employees. Even though the company had detailed contact information for its workers, a hotline for them to call, and telephones countywide were working, many employees had only cordless handsets that required electricity to function.

With hurricane season upon us, businesses throughout South Florida are starting to dust off business recovery plans and mull such post-storm pitfalls. Citibank, for one, has been encouraging its employees to have at least one old-fashioned handset that doesn't need additional juice.

But after two years of relatively mild storm seasons, there are some indications that businesses might be growing complacent.

A recent Office Depot survey found that one in four small businesses do not have a disaster recovery plan. The excuses fell into three categories: no time, no money and lack of know how, said Tom Serio, director of global business continuity for Office Depot.

But planning can be as simple as creating a calling tree for employees and storing back-up disks in a zip-lock bag off premises, he said.

The consequences of not planning can be harsh. According to some statistics, about 40 percent of businesses that suffer a major catastrophe never reopen.

The last time South Florida saw a major hit was in October 2005 when Wilma swept through on the heels of Hurricane Katrina. The Small Business Administration reported almost 50,000 requests for business disaster loan applications from the tri-county area and ultimately made 16,622 loans worth $767 million statewide in response to the two storms.

The National Hurricane Center is predicting a ''near normal or above normal'' storm season this year, with 12 to 16 named storms, six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes.

Since the one-two punch of Katrina and Wilma, the business community has taken on a larger role in post-storm planning. The private sector has a seat at The Miami-Dade Emergency Operating Center, which spearheads recovery efforts.

During regular meetings, state and local planners have tackled such issues as how to ensure that business owners and their suppliers have access to offices in evacuation zones and how to deal with ATM outages that turn South Florida into a cash-dependent economy.

''FEMA has always looked at helping the public, but we also want to look at how to help the business community,'' said Frank Reddish, recovery mitigation manager at the Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. ``The idea is to help the entire business sector to recover faster.''

As part of that effort, Florida International University is working on a website, www.bizrecovery.org, that would be a one-stop shop for the business community and state and local recovery agencies to exchange information ranging from up-to-the-minute damage reports to the availability of tarps at local home improvement stores.

''The main focus from our perspective is to prove a hypothesis that if the business community had a way to organize and muster its resources and share information . . . as a community we can recover faster,'' said Steven Luis, who is spearheading the initiative.

FIU estimates that if it could help just 5 percent of businesses reopen one week faster than usual in the wake of a storm, it would prevent $220 million in losses.

Luis, who is director for IT and business relations for the School of Computing and Information Sciences at FIU, hopes to begin testing the system this hurricane season in preparation for a wider release in 2010.

Speaking to a group of business owners during a meeting of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce last week, Office Depot's Serio said the best time to start planning for a disaster is when there's not one in sight.

''You have to do it while the sun is shining,'' he said. ``If you wait until the wind is blowing, you'll never do it. Avoid becoming a statistic.''

MARITIME NOTE

Coast Guard Announces Successful Launch of Nationwide AIS Satellite

WASHINGTON (HQ Publc Affairs) - The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the launch of an ORBCOMM concept demonstration satellite, equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) capability, from Kapustin Yar, Russia, Thursday.

The satellite attained a proper orbit and is expected to start transmitting operational data within the next three months. The U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) Project sponsored equipment on the satellite to test the feasibility and effectiveness of AIS message reception and reporting from space for ship tracking and other navigational activities. The launch marks an important milestone in the development of the NAIS project.

The NAIS project will improve maritime domain awareness for the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security by using the integrated network of AIS equipment and user interface services that display and exchange AIS-equipped vessel information for maritime safety and security. Data collected by the NAIS supports the nation’s maritime interests by promoting vessel and port safety through collision avoidance, and through detection, traffic identification, and classification of vessels out to 2,000 nautical miles from shore.

The NAIS project is being implemented in three primary increments. Increment one, fielded in September 2007, currently provides the capability to receive AIS messages at 55 critical ports and nine coastal areas across the nation. Increment two (with nationwide AIS transmit and receipt coverage) will provide the capability to receive AIS messages out to 50 nautical miles and transmit AIS messages out to 24 nautical miles along the entire coastline of the U.S. and designated inland waterways. Increment three will extend the coverage for receipt of AIS messages out to 2,000 nautical miles from shore. The upcoming satellite testing will assist in the development of Increment three of the NAIS project.

For more information on the project visit: http://www.uscg.mil/nais/, and for more information on automatic identification system technology, standards and carriage requirements visit: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/enav/ais/

RS

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY HOSTS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED WEATHER RADARS

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY HOSTS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED WEATHER RADARS

Note to Editors: Information recorded by CHILL on the May 22 Windsor, Colo., tornado can be found at - Colorado State University this spring installed a unique antenna on one of the nation's most advanced polarimetric weather radars to more precisely detect major storms and precipitation. The new antenna gives scientists a "more delicate knife" to evaluate thunderstorms and the size and distribution of rain, hail and snow, said Steven Rutledge, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State and the scientific director of the CSU-CHILL radar facility.

The radar, located next to the Greeley-Weld County Airport and known as CSU-CHILL, has the capability of seeing a single hail stone in the atmosphere more than 10 miles away. So-called dual polarization technology will be adopted as the new National Weather Service standard starting next year and deployed on the nation's WSR-88D radars, used to warn the public about developing severe weather. The CSU-CHILL radar supports this effort by developing new techniques that will be used on the weather warning radar network.

The CHILL facility is jointly operated by the Colorado State University departments of Atmospheric Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition to Rutledge, V.N. Bringi and V. Chandrasekar, professors of electrical engineering, serve as principal investigators on the award from the National Science Foundation, which exceeds $3 million over a three-year period.

CHILL has been at Colorado State University since 1990 under continuous support from the National Science Foundation and the state of Colorado. Using its unique dual-polarization technology, the CHILL provided unprecedented data on the July 1997 Spring Creek Flood in Fort Collins, recording a more accurate rain amount by nearly 5 inches than what the National Weather Service radars measured during the storm.

The new antenna technology was installed in February as the result of a three-year, $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant led by Bringi. The antenna was custom designed and manufactured by VertexRSI, a division of General Dynamics, in Killgore, Texas, which provided $250,000 worth of in-kind support for the project. The installation of the antenna marked the first time this type of antenna technology has been installed on a weather radar anywhere in the world.

"We'll get much more precise measurements with this new antenna technology," Rutledge said. "We can better detect heavy rain and hail. That's important to tracking flooding rains and damaging hail more precisely."

The dual polarization measurements are so valuable that the National Weather Service will adopt this technology in its national network of 150 warning radars. The National Weather Service will implement dual polarization radar capabilities starting in 2009 and expects to complete the installations by 2010. Previous radar network upgrades occurred in 1957 and 1988.

Dual-polarization works by transmitting and receiving both horizontal and vertical radiation. This technique allows better discrimination of particle shapes, which allows more accurate information to be gathered on rain and hail, snowflakes and other particles in clouds.

"The integration of CSU CHILL dual polarimetric capabilities into the nation's weather radar network represents a major milestone in our effort to address the ever increasing demand for accurate forecast and warning services," said Larry Mooney, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Boulder.

CHILL is an S-band frequency radar - the frequency currently used by the National Weather Service - that operates at 3 gigahertz. The antenna is housed within an inflatable dome for protection against wind and precipitation.

"Some of the most exciting developments in radar took place over the last decade, and we played a role," said Bringi. "The new technology helps us understand the finer structure in storms. We can demonstrate the advancement of the science of meteorological radar right here at CSU."

The radar can give scientists an idea of what's coming about four hours in advance. But the information also helps make models used in weather forecasting more intelligent.

"We use the observations and the radar as the primary tools to improve the modeling," Bringi said.

Chandrasekar has used the radar as part of testing a sophisticated network of radars in Oklahoma's tornado alley to improve early warning systems for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms The radars are in or near Chickasha, Lawton and Cyril and Rush Springs, Okla., but Colorado State faculty and students monitor the radars 24 hours a day, seven days a week from computers in the College of Engineering.

In 2003, Colorado State teamed with universities across the nation in the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, or CASA, to develop a network of radar systems. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is the lead institution. The radar system in the Oklahoma test bed is the result of a multidisciplinary collaborative effort among all of CASA's partners: Colorado State, UMass, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Puerto Rico.

CASA's primary mission is to develop a Distributed Collaborative Adaptive Sensing radar network at higher frequencies than CHILL radar such as X-band. The S-band frequency is used by the current nationwide deployment of weather radars. X-band is about three times the frequency of S-band. This higher frequency is needed to make smaller and less expensive radars compared to a radar like CHILL.

More fun facts about the CSU-CHILL radar:

- History: The original CHILL radar was assembled in 1970 by the University of Chicago and the Illinois State Water Survey, which is where the radar gets its name. It was moved to CSU in 1990.

- Staff: Requires three full-time staff - Pat Kennedy, Dave Brunkow and Bob Bowie. (A fourth staff member, recent electrical engineering master's graduate Jim George, is being hired.)

- Antenna: When the antenna is looking straight up, the highest point of the antenna is approximately 50 feet above the ground. The antenna is made of aluminum and weighs nearly 6,000 pounds.

- Dome: 64 feet tall and 100 feet in diameter at the base; weighs 8,000 pounds; consists of the same nylon-reinforced vinyl used in the concourse tents at Denver International Airport. Dome cost is $500,000.

- Power: CHILL transmits a peak power of 1 million watts.

WEATHER NOTE

Preparing For Hurricanes
During Disasters, Radio Operators Play A Big Role

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

From left: Larry Ambuel demonstrates how to send an email using a radio signal as amateur operator Randy Payne watches Tuesday at the Hurricane Expo at the Highlands County Agri-Civic Center in Sebring.

By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: June 4, 2008

SEBRING — When the lines of communication go down during a disaster, ham radio operators can help local rescue crews exchange vital information.

If power goes out, the phone lines fail, the cell phone towers don't work and Internet access is down, hams provide that missing two-way communication link that can save lives.

During Tuesday night's Hurricane Seminar at the Agri-Civic Center, led by Emergency Management Director Bill Nichols, several ham enthusiasts were on hand to talk to the public and demonstrate cutting-edge radio technology.

Hams are often known simply by their FCC call signs. At Tuesdays seminar, K4EZM (Randy Payne, of Sebring), AA4ME (Fred Seely, of Avon Park) and AA8QS (Larry Ambuel, of Sebring), talked about serving during the 2004 hurricane season.

About 20 active local hams are members of the national Amateur Radio Relay League. The local chapter is the Highlands County Amateur Radio Club, with those at Tuesday's event a sub group of that branch –– the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).

Payne broadcast from the Agri-Civic Center, which was one of about nine county shelters in 2004. He transmitted hourly updates to the Emergency Operations Center and response teams concerning the shelter, including the number of residents and staff, emergency medical situations and the amount of supplies available.

"It's a labor of love to take a hobby I very much enjoy and to help other people," said Payne.

Nichols said that the hams are one of the strongest volunteer groups the EOC works with.

"They're so strong and so good; they're not our backup communications, but our primary," said Nichols. "They're so good at what they do, we don't use the phones (during past hurricanes). They're professional, reliable and they are there."

On Tuesday, Ambuel sent an e-mail identical to one written on a conventional computer, but broadcast through ham radio airwaves. Ambuel faced the brunt of Hurricane Charley while working in Punta Gorda. READ>

MARITIME NOTE

Two People Saved After Boat Sank

June 07, 2008

U.S. Coast Guard

NEW YORK-Two people were rescued from a life raft after their sportfishing vessel sank approximately nine miles off the coast of Moriches, N.Y., at about 5:45 p.m., today.

Greg Mastonardi, owner of the 33-foot Topaz sportfishing boat First Light, was transiting between Egg Harbor Inlet N.J., to Shinnecock Inlet, N.Y., with passenger Mark Edwards, when he called Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound to notify them his boat was taking on water and his dewatering pumps were having a difficult time keeping up. The Coast Guard instructed Edwards and the other passenger to put on their life jackets.

"We launched a 47-foot motor life boat from Coast Guard Station Shinnecock, a 27-foot rescue boat from Station Moriches, and a HH-60 rescue helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod immediately," said Peter Winters, a civilian search and rescue controller at Sector Long Island Sound.

Nine minutes later, Mastonardi notified search and rescue controllers at Sector Long Island Sound that water was overtaking the vessel and he was going to have to abandon ship.

"We asked them to activate their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) right before we lost communications with them," said Winters. "Seatow overheard Mastonardi call to Sector Long Island Sound and told us they were nearby. We passed their position to Seatow and they headed towards the location."

Seatow arrived at 6:03 p.m. where they pulled Mastonardi and Edwards from their life raft to safety. The First Light sank in 108-feet of water. READ>

The Coast Guard's Most Extreme Rescue: Cover Story Preview Before dawn on March 23, 2008, the Alaska Ranger ship sank in America's deadliest waters.

As 47 souls fought for survival, the Coast Guard launched one of the most daring and dramatic rescues in history. Read an exclusive excerpt from “Ranger Down,” watch author Kalee Thompson track the mission on PopMech TV, hear the Mayday call, browse Coast Guard gear with interactive graphics, then pick up the July issue of PM for the full story!

RS

Weather spotters critical element of severe weather warnings

Weather spotters critical element of severe weather warnings

Sunday, May 18, 2008 6:11 PM CDT

By Bob Holliday

BLOOMINGTON -- Curtis Hawk has 2,400 eyes and ears when it comes to severe weather, and he needs them all.

He has 1,200 weather spotters scattered throughout McLean County, who are especially important during peak tornado season of March, April and May.

“Radar picks up a lot, but the man on the ground is very important,” said Hawk, McLean County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director.

His agency handles other emergencies as well, such as hazardous material spills, but weather is the most common emergency, Hawk said.

A severe weather watch means the conditions are favorable for bad weather. A warning means severe weather has been spotted.

Ideally, there’s a watch before a warning. “It’s tough if it goes right into a warning,” Hawk said.

Many of the McLean County weather spotters have all-hazard alert radios that alert them to bad weather, Hawk said.

The spotters, he said, volunteer for the same reason as do volunteer firefighters — to protect their community. Spotters come from all walks of life and include everyone from firefighters to State Farm office workers, he said.

Severe weather occupies much of the time of the Emergency Management Agency in Woodford County, where Director Bob Hix said there are between 150 and 200 weather spotters.

His agency relies on the National Weather Service in Lincoln, emergency agencies in other counties and weather spotters. Warning sirens also help: Hix said Roanoke got three new sirens over the past five years and Eureka will get a new one this summer.

The new sirens cost up to $30,000, are louder than the old ones and can be used as a public address system. But Hix said they are no substitute for a weather alert radio because they can’t be heard by everyone inside a well-insulated house with the television on.

“A weather radio is still the answer for most people,” he said. The radios can be purchased for between $50 and $70.

Hix, who runs a one-man office, tries to stay available in case he’s needed. “I don’t make too many trips during the tornado season,” he said.

WEATHER NOTE

Florida Hurricane Conference Presents Message of Preparedness

By Brian Skoloff
May 16, 2008

Preparing for hurricanes, despite two slow previous storm seasons, is key to the survival of Floridians and recovery efforts, officials said.

About 2,800 people attended the 22nd Annual Governor's Hurricane Conference on May 14, where the main message was preparedness over complacency.

"Each and every individual citizen has a responsibility,'' Gov. Charlie Crist told a crowd of emergency responders.

Craig Fugate, the state's emergency management chief, said too often we refer to victims after hurricanes when instead we should focus on survivors.

The mentality in the past has always been, "something went wrong, blame somebody else,'' Fugate said.

"It's about being survivors, that's my message,'' Fugate said. "We can accomplish a lot if we include our neighbors, the people down the street. Write them out of your plan, and we're going to fail. It's just that simple.''

Fugate repeated a familiar message: it's not a question of if another hurricane will hit, but when, and the need to be prepared to survive alone for a few days after the storm is more important than ever.

"If we can't do that, everything else we do will fall flat on its face,'' he said.

"If the great Miami hurricane hits today, it will dwarf the cost of Katrina,'' Fugate added, noting estimates put such a disaster cost at more than $160 billion in losses. "The message is simple. We've got to be survivors.''

Earlier in the day, Crist also emphasized the need for citizens to be prepared to help themselves.

"Without our citizens, there's just no way we can help everybody,'' the governor said. "We were very fortunate last year ... but we can't count on that.''

Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November.

Later in the day, talk turned briefly to global warming and its potential effect on hurricanes, a debate that has been raging within the scientific community for several years.

Stanley Goldenberg, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, warned that "just because it's published doesn't make it true.''

"This is a hot debate,'' Goldenberg said. "I have never seen anything like it in my career.''

He said "very prominent scientists with tremendous reputations'' have conflicting opinions about whether man-made global warming will have any effect on hurricane strength and frequency.

"The weather is always changing,'' he said, regardless of man's actions, and certainty about man-made climate change and its affect on hurricanes is far from, well, certain.

MARITIME NOTE

Bad weather for marine insurance
05/19/2008 08:13 PM |
By Frank Kennedy, Special to Gulf News

At the beginning of this year there was a mood of short-term optimism in the marine insurance sector that was summarised by Aon's Annual Marine Insurance Market Review that predicted the industry would experience a continuing run of favourable insurance premiums in 2008, despite facing higher risks.

Moreover, Aon said that the cargo and liability markets would offer a 'win-win' scenario to ship and cargo owners who were paying less and to underwriters who remained in profit due to fewer claims - for the time being, at least.

The expectation was that rates for well-managed risks would continue falling throughout 2008 by up to 10 per cent, due to a plentiful supply of capacity combined with a low claim level creating fierce competition between underwriters.

Furthermore, the relatively benign claims environment was a reflection on major advances in recent years in ship design, cargo handling and general maritime safety.

However, Aon was certainly not as optimistic for both the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) and the Hull and Machinery markets saying the tide was turning for P&I, the clubs having announced big rate increases for 2008 in response to a surge in the size of large claims.

Furthermore in Hull and Machinery, losses were beginning to impact the accounts of many insurers, although not as severely as in P&I. Affirmation of this mixed picture came last week from the UK P&I Club that said the high level of large claims seen in 2006 continued into 2007 except for those related to oil pollution that had been at their lowest for five years.

The Nordic marine insurance association CEFOR is also pessimistic about the overall future of all types of marine insurance following 2007 figures that demonstrated an alarming trend with the average hull claim cost rising 86 per cent over the last five years.

With claims costs likely to continue growing in the future, the association has expressed concern that the industry must take further steps to manage costs without risking safety.

Within different segments of marine insurance, the picture remains distressingly consistent and the members of the International Group of P&I Clubs are currently faced with a considerable increase in costs of their pooling arrangement, covering claims in excess of USD seven million. Indeed, the severities of large claims is showing record highs.

The present situation has been precipitated by several contributory factors, both internal and external to the maritime industry - and on the internal front the issue of manning is very relevant.

For some time now the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has expressed concern regarding the growing shortage of skilled and experienced seafarers to man a growing and increasingly technological fleet.

Such is the price for a current shipping boom with resources being stretched by demand but this shortcoming is now impacting directly on insurance claims with an alarming indication of increasing human error statistics as significant contributory causes of marine accidents!

Cost increases

Externally, the current rises in costs of raw materials and services have also been a direct cause of price increases for all claims cost factors and the entire scenario has been adversely affected by the weak US dollar, add to this the increasing complexity of environmentally-aware processes of salvage and wreck removal, then cost increases are being further exacerbated.

Such are the forces that will undoubtedly determine the rises in premium prices that are now set to befall the ship operator and with little change expected in the external factors at play it will be incumbent on the industry as a whole to contain the situation as far as it can.

This must be by internal improvement to reduce the number of insurance claims; otherwise the costs may become exponential.

Such a solution is, of course, easier said than done but is symptomatic of the many fundamental flaws that are present within the global industry where the 'good-guys are carrying the bad guys' - this goes for operators, Flag Administrations and classification societies alike. Until management of risk is properly contained across the entire operational spectrum, the costs will be payable in lieu!

Medevac South of Freeport, Texas

HOUSTON - the Coast Guard medevaced a 42-year-old man from an oil tanker approximately 30 miles south of Freeport, Texas, May 8, 2008. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at 5 a.m. ...

Happy National Maritime Day!

RS

THETA-E: The Un-used Parameter

A while back storm spotters and chasers had a discussion on the Theta-E Parameter.

Ok so what is the Theta-E and why is it used?

Meteorologist Jeff Haby explains.

1. What is THETA-E?

THETA-E (Equivalent Potential Temperature) is the temperature that results after all latent heat is released in a parcel of air and the then brought adiabatically to the 1000 mb level. THETA-E increases as dewpoint


2. How is THETA-E determined?

First determine the pressure level of interest. Locate the temperature and dewpoint at that pressure level. Raise that parcel adiabatically from that pressure level to the 200-mb level. Next, bring the parcel down dry adiabatically to the 1000 mb level. The temperature once the parcel is at 1000 mb is the THETA-E.

3. Operational significance of THETA-E:

INSTABILITY- A region with a relatively high THETA-E is often the region with the most instability. Warmer low level temperatures and higher low level dewpoints increase instability.

LOW LEVEL JET- A low level jet from a moisture source will often bring in higher THETA-E values and thus increased instability.

THETA-E RIDGE- These are regions with higher THETA-E. They are often the burst point for convective activity.

4. Pitfalls:

a. If a strong cap is in place, convective storms will not occur even if THETA-E is high.

What does this mean to Storm Chasers? Storm Chaser Steve Sponsler explains...

"THETA-E: The Un-used Parameter

Have you ever wondered where a true frontal boundary or the dry-line exists? Why ask?

When it comes to chasing...you have to know these factors along with many others...but this discussion is focused only on Theta-E for discussions sake:

The Theta-E advection parameter could be a major clue. It combines what surface analysis provides as well as the dewpoint forecast parameter.

It also works in tandem with injecting dry slots...and what I often think of as "pressure points". One must combine these two to "brew" the secret ingredient.

What are "pressure points"? Microscale low pressure areas. Those are areas where micro-scale low pressure areas form, particularly in the Plains...formed mostly from downslope winds off the Rockies ALONG with the Coreollis Force...concurrent with upslope, moist air from the GOM (Gulf of Mexico) and forcing upper level winds from the WNW. SEE IT IN YOUR MIND.

VISUALIZE...and work it...Dry Slots swiping up moisture and being forced to rotate because of the earth's rotation..in reality..it makes perfect sense.

And for chasing purposes...PLAN your road networks in advance.

I surmise that anyone here already does that.

It COULD be a "secret" ingredient to what might overlie all the other parameters provide. But then again...I please hope than no one denies that luck in all cases is involved in a successful chase."

CASE STUDY-1

A relationship between a surface theta-e ridge and dominant lightning polarity

Nettie R. Lake, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, VT; and D. R. MacGorman

For many years, it was believed that cloud-to-ground lightning lowered only negative charge to the ground (-CG flashes). In the past twenty years, however, flashes lowering positive charge (+CG flashes) have been documented and studied. This presentation summarizes positive correlations between +CG flashes, hail, and tornadoes.

Recent studies have reported that in some cases, dominant storm polarity reverses from positive to negative. Additionally, it has been observed that 50% of such storms are tornadic, and that tornadoes usually occur during or after the reversal. Smith et al. (2000) observed that polarity reversals often occur at surface equivalent potential temperature (theta-e) ridges. This study examined dominant polarity patterns of severe storms during the entire year 1999. Similar to Smith et al. (2000), this study found that 82% of polarity reversals occur at a theta-e ridge.

Furthermore, positively dominated storms that move parallel to a ridge axis seldom reverse polarity. Also, negative storms do not reverse polarity relative to a theta-e ridge. Explanations for why polarity reversals may occur at a theta-e ridge will also be discussed.

Extended Abstract (68K)

CASE STUDY - 2

WMSI - A New Index For Forecasting Wet Microburst Severity

Kenneth L. Pryor and Gary P. Ellrod
Office of Research and Applications (NOAA/NESDIS)
Camp Springs, MD
Date Submitted: November 20, 2003

Abstract

A new index to assess the potential and severity of wet microbursts is currently under development. The index, designated as the Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI), accounts for the physical processes of convective storm development and downburst generation by incorporating such parameters as convective available potential energy (CAPE), to represent the process of updraft formation, and Theta-e Deficit (TeD), to represent downburst development.

Since convective storm updrafts require buoyant energy, a very important parameter used in the analysis of convection is CAPE, which is easily computed from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) sounding data. Since updraft strength is proportional to CAPE, large CAPE would result in strong updrafts that could lift the precipitation core within a convective storm to the mid-level dry air layer. CAPE also plays a major role in the formation of precipitation.

The strong updrafts resulting from large CAPE will increase the size of precipitation particles, which, in turn, will then enhance the effect of precipitation loading. The amount of mid-level water vapor relative to the low-level water vapor in the atmosphere as indicated by a sounding profile is important in the determination of the strength of downdrafts that occur in convective storms. This condition is modeled by the Theta-e Deficit (TeD), represented by the algorithm TeD = theta-e_max - theta-e_min, where (theta-e_max) refers to the maximum value of theta-e at the surface and (theta-e_min) refers to the minimum value of theta-e in the mid-levels of the troposphere.

TeD serves as an important indicator of the difference in water vapor concentration (plus thermal energy cpT) between the surface and mid-levels. Large TeD values imply the presence of relatively dry air at mid levels that will result in evaporative cooling and the generation of large negative buoyancy as the dry air is entrained into the convection cell. The WMSI algorithm is given as the following expression: WMSI = (CAPE)(theta-e_max - theta-e_min)/1000.

CASR STUDY - 3

Midlevel Dry Intrusions as a Factor in Tornado Outbreaks Associated with Landfalling Tropical Cyclones from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

Lon Curtis
KWTX-TV, Waco, Texas

ABSTRACT

Midlevel dry intrusions have been mentioned as a factor in tornado outbreaks associated with landfalling tropical cyclones for more than three decades, but a systematic analysis of historical outbreak cases with respect to this pattern has been missing.

Herein, following an examination of all named tropical cyclone landfalls from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico for the period 1960–99, 13 “outbreak” cases (defined as storms producing 20 or more tornadoes) have been identified with 11 of the cases offering clear evidence of a dry intrusion at midlevels over the outbreak area. The outbreaks all occurred when the favored area for tornadogenesis (the right-front or northeast quadrant of the storm) coincided with a pronounced gradient of relative humidity, with the gradient best reflected at the 700- and/or 500-hPa level(s).

Two distinct patterns were identified with respect to the origin of the midlevel dry air involved in these cases: in one, a mass of dry air that impinged on much of the northern or northwestern semicircle of the storm's outer circulation gradually divided into two separate areas (one to the northwest and the other to the northeast of the storm center) as the storm advanced; the other involved ingestion of a lobe of dry air from a reservoir most often located in the eastern semicircle of the storm.

The outbreak cases were determined to have a strong diurnal signal detected in the temporal distribution of the tornadoes, as almost two-thirds (65%) of the tornadoes in the 11 “positive” cases occurred between 1500 and 2400 UTC (daylight hours in the region examined). A review of all tropical cyclone landfall events since 1960 revealed that there are only three cases with clear evidence of a midlevel dry intrusion that were not accompanied by an outbreak as defined herein.

TORNADO OUTBREAK

30 Twisters in Al, Ga and Fla for 17 February 2008

Meteorologists Study Deadly Tornado Outbreak

Warm moist air and a shifting weather pattern courtesy of the La Nina phenomenon aided in the development of the Feb. 5 tornadoes, which killed at least 50 people and were among the 15th deadliest in U.S. recorded history. But meteorologists are now trying to explain why the tornadoes occurred so early in the year.

It was farther north than most February tornadoes and stronger, Joseph Schaefer, director of the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., told Associated Press.

Tornadoes do occur in February. In 1971, a deadlier February outbreak in the Mississippi Delta killed 121 people. A study conducted by Schaefer two years ago, found that winter tornadoes in parts of the South occur more frequently and are stronger when there is a La Nina, a cooling of Pacific waters that is the flip side of the better known El Nino.

February tornadoes usually pop up near the Gulf Coast, not in Kentucky or Tennessee, said University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Howard Bluestein.

A heavy contributing factor was the warm weather. It was 84 degrees in Oklahoma before the storm front moved through on its path of destruction. On Tuesday, 97 weather stations broke or tied records in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky - the hardest-hit states, according to Associated Press.

Still, meteorologists said there is not enough recorded historical evidence of such storms to blame global warming at this point, but Tuesday’s tornadoes had all of the key deadly elements: warm air near the ground; high winds; and warm moist air coming north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Schaefer told Associated Press, La Nina doesn’t specifically cause tornadoes, it helps shift the jet stream, pushing storms from the West and moisture from the Gulf into the necessary collision course over the South. El Nino, La Nina occurs every few years, and has been changing global weather patterns for a few months now, Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, which monitors La Nina, told Associated Press.

Preliminary figures for January show 136 tornadoes, five tornado deaths and three killer tornadoes, although these figures tend to drop after closer analysis.

Between 1997 and 2007, the average February has 30 tornadoes, killing 9 people. Early reports tallied 68 tornadoes so far this month. "We're off to a big start for the year," said Greg Carbin, a meteorologist at the storm center. Meteorologists said that the patterns point to the likelihood of more tornado outbreaks this season. "As long as the pattern remains the same it can be very active," Schaefer said. "It's not a time to let down your guard."

MARITIME NOTES:

Shell Oil to put sensors on Gulf rigs to gauge storm strength, share data with forecasters

Maya Bell
Sentinel Staff Writer
February 14, 2008

MIAMI - It's a Gulf Coast nightmare: A moderate hurricane crosses a pocket of deep warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and explodes into a top-of-the-chart Category 5 monster.

Exactly how and why that happens may become a bit clearer one day, thanks to new undersea sensors Shell Oil Co. has agreed to install on one of its oil platforms in the Gulf south of New Orleans.

Known as "thermistors," the instruments will measure heat content of the water to a depth of 100 meters, or about 330 feet, and may be operable by this fall, in time for the peak of the 2008 hurricane season. The data could help hurricane scientists measure the effects of warmer water on storm intensity.

They are one piece of a nearly $1 million investment the oil company is making to collect data for hurricane research, forecasting and coastal-resource management.

Marking the first private-public partnership of its kind, Shell has agreed to acquire and install weather and oceanic data-collecting sensors on seven of its oil and gas facilities in deep waters off the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has agreed to make the data available in real time to its National Weather Service forecast offices, the National Hurricane Center west of Miami and the public.

"This is very significant," said David Miller, a NOAA spokesman in Washington. "These platforms are designed for maximum survivability, and having an uninterrupted data stream even in the height of a hurricane could have untold value."

Under federal law, 59 deep-water gas and oil platforms operating in the Gulf already are required to collect and transmit observations of ocean currents to NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. But the agreement between NOAA and Shell, forged after NOAA administrator Conrad Lautenbacher and Shell President John Hofmeister met at a 2006 summit on the Gulf and discussed how their organizations could leverage their strengths, goes much further.

In addition to the ocean heat sensors, by next spring Shell will install transmitters, complete with battery-backup power, on four platforms that will send sea-surface and air temperatures, pressure and wind speed to NOAA's geostationary satellites -- even if the platforms are evacuated because of a hurricane. Tethered to the sea bottom by cables, the platforms can twist in a figure eight to withstand storm-force currents and winds.

Shell also has agreed to collect and share meteorological data from two Continental Shelf locations off Louisiana and install high-frequency radar transmitters on platforms off the Texas coast. Specific locations have yet to be identified.

Because Florida waters are off limits to oil drilling, only one of the platforms scheduled for the enhancements is near its coast, south of the Alabama-Florida border. Still, the Sunshine State should benefit.

"Think about it: More than half of Florida's real estate is on the Gulf of Mexico," said hurricane-center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. "And storms don't always move west. Sometimes they come from the west. Remember Wilma," a reference to the 2005 late-season storm that swept across southwest Florida and exited over Broward and Palm Beach counties.

While Shell spokeswoman Darci Sinclair said the thermal sensors should help hurricane forecasters improve on their weakest skill -- predicting the intensity of storms -- forecasters said the data will likely be of more use to researchers. But they'll be glad to have it.

"Every meteorologist always wants every bit of data he or she can get," hurricane specialist James Franklin said.

Maya Bell can be reached at mayabell@orlandosentinel.com or 305-810-5003.

Riverdance bye-bye

GROUNDED cargo ship, the Riverdance, is expected to set sail this week - and it couldn't come quick enough for local residents.

Locals living in the English holiday town of Blackpool have experienced the same tourism fever Newcastle locals had when the Pasha Bulker ran aground last year.

Blackpool's promenade has become a "nightmare" with locals complaining of traffic jams as people across England travel to see the Riverdance, an Irish-owned ship which has been grounded for 17 days.

"When it first happened it took me 45 minutes to get down the road to get home. The parking is a nightmare too," Blackpool local Steven Wilkinson said.

"It'll be worse this week with half term holidays. You can't blame people for coming to see the ferry though. It's a one off and their kids want to see it."

It's not only the locals who are complaining. Sightseers say they are finding it difficult to park in the small seaside town.

"I've come every day to see the ferry. It's jolly good to see so many people here. But there are a lot of cars. People living here know where to go for parking spaces, but visitors wouldn't know where to park. There aren't enough spaces," visitor Clarice Dale told the Blackpool Gazette.

Small business owners will be sad to see the Riverdance go.

"Our business has doubled. The longer it's here, the better it is for us. It's been great for business, you don't need to advertise the area - just put a boat on the beach! " Ann Wilkinson, owner of Blackpool's The Eating House said.

Four passengers and 10 crew were airlifted off the Riverdance in a rescue which included the coastguard, the Royal Air Force and lifeboat services.


RS

Weather? HA! The Work Goes On!

Work is under way today to refloat the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. by pumping water out of the laker’s ballast tanks.

The 1,000-foot-long laker’s engine room flooded Monday after a submerged object punctured the McCarthy’s hull as the ship was backing into a slip at Superior’s Hallett No. 8 Dock about 11:30 a.m. The McCarthy’s crew closed the engine room’s watertight doors and evacuated the room as the ship’s stern settled to the bottom in 20 feet of water.

“Calculations support that the vessel will float regardless of the flooded engine room if de-ballasting occurs,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. “To do so, the vessel will utilize shore power to operate internal and external pumps. Engineers involved in the salvage believe it will take two to three days to complete the de-ballasting.”

Work to empty the ship’s ballast tanks began Tuesday evening. The tanks hold lake water to help stabilize the ship when it is empty or lightly loaded.

Once the ship is refloated, divers will be able to determine the extent of the damage to the McCarthy’s hall. After the ship’s hull is patched, the water in the engine room will be pumped to trucks for proper treatment and disposal.

The water fills the engine room to a depth of 20 feet, covering the ship’s four 3,500-horsepower General Motors Electro Motive Division diesel engines. Response personnel estimate that approximately 450 gallons of miscellaneous oils have been removed from the flooded engine room, the Coast Guard said. There are an additional 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of oil and fuel in adjacent tanks, engines and generators, but there is no threat of those liquids escaping, the Coast Guard said.

Once the engine room is pumped dry, officials will be able to determine if the ship can be repaired where it is or whether it will have to enter dry dock.

Workers may rebuild the ship’s engines where it sits now, said Rhonda S. Johnson, spokeswoman for GATX, the parent company of the McCarthy’s owner, the American Steamship Co.

The McCarthy is 1,000 feet long, 105 feet wide and has a dead weight capacity of 62,100 gross tons at a draft of 27.5 feet. The ship transports western coal from Superior to Detroit Edison’s St. Clair and Monroe, Mich., power plants. Built as the Belle River by the Bay Shipbuilding Corp. at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the ship entered service in 1977. It was renamed the McCarthy in 1990 to honor the former chairman of the Detroit Edison Company.

UPDATE ON THE ICE PRINCE

Here are two recent videos regarding the Ice Prince a cargo ship loaded with more than 300 tonnes of oil which sank in the Channel 26 miles south-east of Portland Bill, spilling its load of timber.

Environmentalists are concerned that coastline and marine life could be harmed if storms breach the hull of the Ice Prince. There were also worries that if its cargo of wood washes up in southern England there could be a repeat of the chaotic scenes a year ago when scavengers descended on the Devon coast after the MSC Napoli shed about 50 containers.

UK. Receiver of Wreck warns against stealing MV Ice Prince cargo

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

At a meeting this morning convened by the Secretary's of State Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) Hugh Shaw, various options were discussed on minimising the impact of the loss of cargo or oil from the sunken `Ice Prince.

Representatives from the Environment Group, Police, local authorities and the owners and salvors also attended the meeting.

A guard vessel, the Klyne tug, "Anglian Earl" will remain on scene until Trinity House have completed their survey of the wreck site. This is to ensure that the wreck does not pose any hazard to navigation.

The salvors are currently working on a plan to decide how best to recover the oil and pollutants that are currently contained within tanks on the vessel to minimise the risk of environmental impact.

There have been reports of a light sheen of oil on the surface at the wreck site, but this is being broken up by wave energy and natural sea movement.

The timber cargo that broke free from the vessel when she sank is estimated to be 2,000 tons of untreated sawn timber of differing sizes. Already some of the packages have broken up into individual pieces.

Discussions are taking place with the owners to appoint a contractor to be responsible for the collection of the cargo.

The MCA anticipate the cargo of timber will reach land between the Dorset/Hampshire border and East Sussex.

Police forces along the south coast are working closely with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Receiver of Wreck.

Police Forces have been authorised by the Receiver of Wreck to act on her behalf. People failing to comply with their directions would be committing an offence for which they may, on conviction, be fined up to £2,500 - and may be arrested.

Under Sections 236 and 237 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995: an offence would be committed: where a vessel is wrecked ... any person (who) conceals or keeps possession of any such cargo or refuses to deliver any such cargo or article to the receiver...'

It is also an offence of failing to report the wreck to the receiver.

Under current control measures that are in place any birds or wildlife found dead should be reported immediately to the RSPCA on their emergency number 03001234 999 who will respond appropriately.

WEATHER STORY

NWS Chicago (Lot) has posted its Skywarn Spotter training schedule...

Severe Weather Spotter Talk Schedule
Below is a listing of upcoming severe weather spotter talks...
Click here to see the Spotter Training FAQ page

February, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
11	Naperville, IL (DuPage County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, Council Chambers, 400 S. Eagle.
	Contact Information: 630-742-3782
13	Evergreen Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Fire Dept., 9000 S. Kedzie Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
20	Kankakee, IL (Kankakee County)	7:00pm CST	Kankakee Community College, Auditorium
	Contact Information: 815-802-7174
25	Minooka, IL (Grundy County)	6:30pm CST	Fire Station 1, 413 W. Mondamin St.
	Contact Information: 815-941-3200
26	Sandwich, IL (DeKalb County)	7:00pm CST	TBA
27	Plainfield, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	Police Dept., 14300 S. Coil Plus Dr.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
March, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
03	Evanston, IL (Cook County)	2:00pm CST	Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
03	Evanston, IL (Cook County)	6:00pm CST	Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
06	Dixon, IL (Lee County)	7:00pm CST	Public Safety Building, 220 S. Hennepin Ave.
	Contact Information: 815-284-3365
10	Ottawa, IL (La Salle County)	7:00pm CST	Ottawa High School, Room 420, 211 E. Main St.
	Contact Information: 815-433-5622
11	Oglesby, IL (La Salle County)	7:00pm CST	Illinois Valley Community College, Room 316
	Contact Information: 815-433-5622
12	Melrose Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Senior Center, 900 N. 25th Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
13	Warrenville, IL (DuPage County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, 28W701 Stafford Place
	Contact Information: 630-682-7925
15	Wheaton, IL (DuPage County)	8:00am CST	Wheaton College, Coray Gym ***There is a fee. Must Register in Advance***
	Contact Information: 630-682-7925
17	Aurora, IL (Kane County)	10:00am CST	City Council Chambers, 44 East Downer Pl.
	Contact Information: 630-801-6512
17	Aurora, IL (Kane County)	7:00pm CST	City Council Chambers, 44 E. Downer Pl
	Contact Information: 630-801-6512
18	Lockport, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	Lockport Central High School, Auditorium, 1222 S. Jefferson St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
19	Joliet, IL (Will County)	10:00am CST	County Building, 2nd Floor Board Room, 302 N. Chicago St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
19	Wilmington, IL (Will County)	7:00pm CST	City Hall, 1165 S. Water St.
	Contact Information: 815-740-8351
20	Pontiac, IL (Livingston County)	7:00pm CST	Public Safety Building, 413 N. Mill St.
	Contact Information: 815-844-7171
22	Rockford, IL (Winnebago County)	8:30am CST	Chicago-Rockford Int'l Airport, Public Safety Building
	Contact Information: 815-987-5990
24	Clarendon Hills, IL (DuPage County)	7:30pm CST	Church of Holy Nativity, 55th and Richmond.
	Contact Information: DuPage Radio Club www.w9dup.org
26	Lyons, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Lyons EOC, 7801 Ogden Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
27	Crystal Lake, IL (McHenry County)	7:00pm CST	McHenry Community College, Auditorium
	Contact Information: 815-338-6400
31	Tinley Park, IL (Cook County)	7:00pm CST	Admin Building, Kallsen Conference Room, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
April, 2008 - Upcoming
Day	City, State	Time	Location
02	Matteson, IL (Cook County)	10:00am CST	Matteson Village Hall, 4900 Village Commons
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
03	Crown Point, IN (Lake County)	7:00pm CST	Civic Center, 101 East St.
	Contact Information: 219-755-3549
09	Arlington Heights, IL (Cook County)	9:30am CST	Public Works Dept., L.A. Hansen Building, 222 N. Ridge Rd.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180
09	Arlington Heights, IL (Cook County)	1:30pm CST	Public Works Dept., L.A. Hansen Building, 222 N. Ridge Rd.
	Contact Information: 312-603-8180

RS